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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday expressed fresh dissatisfaction with the Biden administration’s supply of ammunition for the Gaza war as his defense minister traveled to Washington to meet with senior U.S. officials.
Some Israeli news outlets described Defense Minister Yoav Galante’s visit as a “conciliation” trip aimed at easing recent tensions with the country’s most important ally, although it was pre-planned. Netanyahu’s and Biden’s governments are increasingly at odds over Israel’s conduct in Gaza, with Netanyahu last week lashing out at the United States for withholding some heavy munitions.
But on Sunday morning, Mr. Netanyahu doubled down. In remarks broadcast in Hebrew ahead of a weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said he was grateful to the Biden administration for its support of Israel during the eight-month war, “but the change from four months ago At the beginning, the supply of armaments decreased sharply.
“Over the next few weeks, we have been asking our American friends to speed up deliveries. We have done it again and again,” Mr Netanyahu said, adding that he had also tried working behind closed doors.
“We received various explanations, but one thing we did not receive: the basic situation has not changed,” he continued, adding that “certain items arrived bit by bit, but large amounts of ammunition remained .
Days earlier, Netanyahu had released a combative English-language video condemning, as Netanyahu put it, the Biden administration for withholding arms and ammunition as Israel “fights for survival” with Iran and other common enemies. .
U.S. officials said at the time that they found the video “puzzling” and had no idea what Mr. Netanyahu was talking about. While Israel’s prime minister complained of a “bottleneck,” the Biden administration insisted it had only seized a batch of 2,000-pound bombs over concerns about their use in densely populated areas of Gaza.
The row continued on Sunday, with Mr Galante’s trip to the United States coming at a critical juncture. The Israeli military says it wants to end fighting in Gaza and may turn its attention to its northern border with Lebanon after weeks of tit-for-tat attacks between Israeli forces and the Iran-backed Lebanese militia Hezbollah.
The Biden administration has been trying to find a diplomatic solution to avoid an all-out conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. President Biden has also invested time and political capital in supporting an Israeli proposal for a truce in Gaza that would include exchanging Palestinian prisoners for hostages. Hamas has expressed significant reservations about the proposal, and negotiations have reached an impasse.
Mr. Galante was visiting Washington at the invitation of Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III, according to Galante’s office. The statement also said he planned to meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other senior U.S. officials.
“The United States is our most important and core ally,” Galante said shortly before setting off. He added: “Our relationship is crucial at this moment, perhaps more than ever.”
Galante and Netanyahu, rivals in their own right, have clashed publicly in recent months even as they jointly oversee Israel’s military operations. As Israel’s prime minister lashed out at the White House, he also engaged in increasing public spats with military brass and right-wing coalition partners.
Gaby Sobelman Contributed reporting.
